Tatting accessory



Feb. 13, 1951 L, B, P LMER 2,541,606

TATTING ACCESSORY Filed April 23, 1949 A ya/uu 5. PAL/MR,

INVENTOR.

A271) rzre a.

Patented Feb. 13, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TATTIN G ACCESSORY Lydalu B. Palmer, Memphis, Tenn. Application April 23, 1949, Serial No. 89,293

6 Claims.

This invention relates especially to the art of tatting and the like and aims to provide a novel means for temporarily and releasably securing the second or chain-covering thread employed in the formation of chainwork.

In the art of tatting, as is well known, the single thread tatting shuttle can be used only for the formation of rings, and for the formation of chains it is necessary to employ a second thread and to train the second thread about the extended fingers so that the shuttle may be manipulated relative to it to produce the chain.

' The manipulation requires repeated tightening and loosening of the second or chain-core thread so that looping of the shuttlecarried thread about the core thread of the chain may produce knots in the cover thread embracing such core. The training of the second thread about the fingers requires that its standing part, leading to the ball or second thread supply, be held in some manner so that it may be alternately slacked and tightened. Wrapping this thread around and around a finger is time-consuming and inconvenient, and unless the thread is so wrapped a considerable number of tim s with the wraps crossing one another repeatedly, the turns slip or come unwound as the hand is manipulated. In addition the so-wrapned thread must be unwrapped after the formation of the chain, involving further waste of time.

The present invention has for a principal object the elimination of the above-mention d difficulties and the speeding up of two-thread tatting operations and the like. Other objects, severally and interdependently, are to provide a second-thread securing means ada ted to be mounted on the finger and especially the little finger of the tatter and with respect to which the second thread may be quickly and easily secured and released; to provide such a device aifording in a single simple motion a firm and not-easily disturbed securement; to provide such a device from which the thread may be disengaged with equal ease; to provide such a device affording in a minimum of space at least two, and preferably four, pairs of securing jaws with which the thread may be engaged by a simple swinging motion of the hand; to provide a novel mode of forming such wedge jaws; and to provide novel features and combinations of parts contributing to the realization of the aforesaid general and particular objects of the invention. The invention resides in the features of construction and arrangements of parts hereinafter exemplified and described and pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings of exemplary embodiments of the invention:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of one embodiment.

Fig. 2 is a cross-section taken on the line 2--2 of Fig. 1 viewed in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of a modified form.

Fig. 4 is a cross-section taken on the line d4 of Fig. 3 viewed in the directionof the arrows.

Fig. 5 is a cross-section corresponding to that of Fig. 2, of another modified embodiment.

In the embodiment illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, the tatting accessory comprises a finger ring it adapted to pass part way down the finger of a tatter. This ring in most instances will be sized to slip over the terminal portionof the little finger of the wearer and come to rest against either the outermost or next adjacent joint of that finger. As these joints in adults are fairly wide compared to the thickness of the tip of the finger therebeyond, agiven size of ring may thus fit a fairly wide range of finger sizes.

The ring in the form'of Figs. 1 and 2 is formed of tubular material, as this has special advantage in cooperation with the features of the invention. For looking or securing the secondthread above mentioned positively by a simple swinging motion of the hand, the ring I0 is provided with anchor cleat means preferably compr sing two oppositely-opening outward y-directed wedge-shaped slots H spaced along its arcuate periphery, as shown. The arched portions l2 of the ring extending outwardly from the slots 12 provide guiding surfaces; so that by simply swinging the thread It circuitously about the ring and in contact with the surfaces l2, it slides therealong and into the wedge-shaped slots ll. Thus with the ring mounted on the little finger of the left hand, say, with its notched portion directed toward the outer edge of the hand or even downwardly toward the palm of the hand, it is a very simple matter to grasp the opening or mouth, at the lower region of the slot,

due to its division on opposite sides of the tubular body, the slot aifords two pairs of opposed gripping jaws, as shown in Fig. 2. With this construction, each slot affords a double gripping action, and the two slots aiford four pairs of gripping jaws, insuring very secure gripping of the thread by a single circuitous turn thereof, even if it be pulled only gently into the slots.

In the form shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the ring 20 is of open-backed form, and is of solid triangular cross-section with rounded corners, the cross-section being flattened toward its tips to increase the flexibility thereof, as shown in Fig. 4. The slots 2| are formed much as in Fig. 1, but due to the solid cross-section, the advantage of splitting each slot into two relatively narrow opposed pairs of gripping jaws is not attained. The forming of the slots in arcuately spaced relation, with arcuate surfaces 22 extending therebeyond affords, however, the thread-guiding advantage of the preferred form.

While the instrumentality of this invention is preferably formed on an open ring, as indicated in Figs. 1-4, in its broader aspects the invention is not limited to this form. Thus, as shown in Fig. 5, thering 3!] may be embodied as the rolled mouth edge of a sewing thimble or the like 35 having either a closed or open tip, the slots 3| (only one of which is shown in Fig. 5) being arranged as in Figs. 1 and 2. This form of the invention has the advantage that being attached to the thimble, the ring is not so apt to be lost, and is also more readily available for special purposes, as in holding threads to prevent their tangling, for example. The open ring forms of Figs. 1 to 4, however, have the advantages of greater size tolerance, and are less likely to be dislodged from the finger than the thimblecarried form.

From the foregoing description it will be apparent that by my method of forming the slots in tubular material, a better securement is afforded with maximum simplicity of thread-engaging action. It will further be apparent that in providing the arched guide sections, I enable the strand to be engaged in the notches with maximum rapidity and minimum attention. It will further be observed that by these and other features of my invention, a new instrumentality for tatting, lace-making, and the like is afforded, greatly expediting the prosecution of such work.

It is to be understood that the exemplary embodiments herein described are illustrative and not restrictive of the invention, the scope of the invention being defined in the appended claims. All modifications which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are therefore intended to be included therein.

I claim as my invention:

1. A tatting accessory for holding a chain-core thread in manual tatting operations, said accessory comprising a finger ring of tubular crosssection adapted to pass part way down the finger of a tatter, said ring having oppositely-opening outwardly-directed wedge-shaped slots spaced:

along its periphery, said ring presenting smooth arcuate contours in outlying relation to said slots, said slots extending through the tubular wall of said ring and intersecting the hollow center thereof, whereby four pairs of thread-gripping jaws are provided into which the outwardly extending arcuate surfaces of the ring may guide a thread drawn about such arcuate surfaces in a single encircling motion for securely holding the thread until it is released therefrom by a reverse motion.

2. A tatting accessory for holding a chain-core thread in manual tatting operations, said accessory comprising a finger ring adapted to pass part way down the finger of a tatter, said ring having oppositely-opening outwardly-directed wedge-shaped slots spaced along its periphery, said ring presenting smooth arcuate contours in outlying relation to said slots, whereby oppositelydirected pairs of thread-gripping jaws are provided into which the outwardly extending arcuate surfaces of the ring may guide a thread. drawn about such arcuate surfaces in a single encircling motion for securely holding the thread until it is released therefrom by a reverse motion.

3. In a tatting accessory, and in combination, a finger ring adapted to pass part way down the finger of a wearer, and a thread-locking anchor formed in the outer surface of said finger ring for positively securing a thread against slippage thereat.

4. In a tatting accessory, and in combination, a finger ring adapted to pass part way down the finger of a wearer, and a thread-locking anchor cleat carried by said finger ring for positively securing a thread against slippage thereat.

5. A thread anchor comprising an arched tubular member having an inclined wedge-shaped slot formed in its outwardly convex wall and of a depth intersecting the hollow interior of the member, said slot affording a single entrance opening at its mouth while the opposed side walls thereof afford two pairs of thread-gripping jaws.

6. A thread anchor comprising an arched tubu lar member having two oppositely-opening inclined wedge-shaped slots spaced from each other in its outwardly convex wall and of a depth intersecting the hollow interior of the member, each slot afiording a single entrance opening at its mouth while the opposed side walls of the tubular member afford two pairs of thread-gripping jaws.

LYDALU B. PALMER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED ST: TES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,235,605 Sauer Aug. 7, 1917 2,313,684 Thulin Mar. 9, 1943 

